Justice and Remembrance: Introducing the Spirituality of Imam Ali

by Reza Shah-Kazemi

‘O Muḥammad, tell me about submission (al-islām)’, the stranger asked. The Prophet replied, ‘Al-islām is to testify that there is no god but God and Muḥammad is the messenger of God, to perform the prayers, to pay the poor-due (al-zakāt), to fast in Ramaḍān, and to make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so.’ The narration continues: ‘He [Gabriel] said, ‘You have spoken truly’, and we [the Companions] were amazed at his asking him and saying that he had spoken truly. He said, ʿThen tell me about faith (al-īmān).’ He [the Prophet] said, ‘It is to believe in God, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in divine destiny, both the good and the evil thereof.’ He said, ‘You have spoken truly.’ He said, ‘Then tell me about virtue (al-iḥsān).’ He said, ‘It is to worship God as though you see Him, and if you see Him not, yet truly He sees you.’